Flexible robe rail



April'B, 1928. 1,664,418

J. H. HUNTER FLEXIBLE ROBE RAIL Filed April 20, 1925 A? V/ fif m "Jaw v2/Z /i an 667 Patented Apr. 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. HUNTER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 DETROIT INSULATEDWIRE COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

FLEXIBLE ROBE RAIL.

Application filed April 20, 1925. Serial No. 24,635.

It is the object of the invention to obtain a flexible metallic railwhich may be employed for'various purposes requiring tensile strength aswell as flexibility. Among such uses are the forming of robe rails,handles and hangers of various construction where the flexible elementmust be firmly anchored to the member to which it is attached.

My improvement consists essentially in utilizing in an unobvious waymaterial which is designed for a totally different purpose, and furtherin combining with this material other elements which alter its normalfunction. The material which I thus employ is known to the art asflexible metallic conduit for use in installing electrical conductorsand is formed by spirally winding a metallic strip so as to formoverlapping and interlocking but relatively movable convolutions. Thenormal function of such conduit is to enclose the conductors forprotection and at the same time to permit of flexing so as to passaround bends, or

.otherwise conform to the shapeof the conductor. IVith my improvementthe material is used not as a conduit, but as a hollow rod anchored atone or more points and carrying a tensile load, as more fullyhereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing a portion of the robe rail embodying myinvention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is an elevation showing a construction of lifting handle;

Figure 4 is a similar view showing a hanger.

In the present state of the art robe rails and other devices of asimilar nature areusually formed either of a rigid rod secured insuitable brackets or a flexible rope which is secured at its oppositeends and hangs in more or less of a loop. For many reasons a flexibleconstruction is preferable, but it has the disadvantage of tendency tostretch or elongate under load and danger ofpulling away from thefastening means at the ends. With the present construction I haveavoided both of these objections and have As specifically shown, theconduit A is formed from a spirally wound strip B fashioned in crosssection to be outwardly corrugated at C adjacent to one edge thereofwith an inward corrugation D adjacent to the opposite edge. Thus in thespiral winding the portions C and D interlock with each other and at thesame time permit of a limited relative sliding movement, which impartsflexibility to the tubular structure.

My iHlPIOVGCl rail is formed by cutting a suitable length of the conduitA and securmg the opposite ends thereof in suitable brackets such as E.'These are preferably formed with corrugated socket portions F, whichpermit of screwing the conduit into engagement therewith. Any suitablecovering, such as indicated at G, may be sleeved around the conduit togive the same the desired finish, or the metal surface may be enameledor otherwise finished.

In Figure 3 a lifting handle H is similarly formed from a section of therail A, its opposite ends being anchored in brackets I. In Figure 4 asection of the rail A is anchored at its upper end in the hanger bracketJ and depends therefrom to support at its lower end astructure of anykind such as indicated at K.

It is obvious that there are many other specific structures embodyingthe same principle of construction and utilizing the ma terial A for itsflexibility and tensile strength instead of merely as a conduit.

hat I claim as my invention is:

In a supporting hanger, the combination with an anchor member comprisinga base adapted to be secured to the back of an automobile seat and atubular interiorly corrugated port-ion projecting outwardly from saidbase, of a' corrugated flexible metallic tube, the corrugations of whichare adapted to threadedly engage the corrugations of the tubularportion.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOSEPH HUNTER.

